Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wah and Karachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Wah: $417 a month against $483 in Karachi, rent and utilities included – about $790 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Wah
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Wah Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Karachi
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Karachi Living Index

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Wah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$417

/mo nomad

Karachi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wah and in Karachi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wah and in Karachi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $417 in Wah versus $483 in Karachi.

Wah $417
Karachi $483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $635 in Wah versus $754 in Karachi.

Wah $635
Karachi $754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $853 in Wah versus $1,025 in Karachi.

Wah $853
Karachi $1,025

Living in Wah costs roughly 14% less than in Karachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Wah 69% lower, Karachi 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.86 PKR 514

$2.11 PKR 585

-11.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.65 PKR 2,946

$13.73 PKR 3,801

-22.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 PKR 1,541

$5.53 PKR 1,531

0.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 PKR 684

$2.20 PKR 609

12.27%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 PKR 593

$7.37 PKR 2,040

-70.96%

Cappuccino

$1.24 PKR 344

$2.14 PKR 593

-42.06%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 PKR 92.0

$0.40 PKR 111

-17.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 PKR 72.2

$0.28 PKR 77.7

-7.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 PKR 211

$0.90 PKR 250

-15.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 PKR 166

$0.55 PKR 153

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 349

$1.20 PKR 333

5.00%

Eggs

$1.21 PKR 334

$1.25 PKR 346

-3.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.51 PKR 2,355

$5.96 PKR 1,650

42.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.50 PKR 692

$3.19 PKR 883

-21.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.00 PKR 1,107

$6.48 PKR 1,793

-38.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.11 PKR 307

$1.24 PKR 344

-10.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 PKR 174

$0.53 PKR 147

18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.58 PKR 160

$1.03 PKR 284

-43.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 PKR 175

$0.51 PKR 142

23.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 PKR 84.2

$0.31 PKR 85.1

-3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 PKR 131

$0.31 PKR 87.1

51.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 116

$0.41 PKR 113

2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 PKR 119

$0.44 PKR 120

-2.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.57 PKR 157

$1.31 PKR 362

-56.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 PKR 154

$1.33 PKR 369

-57.89%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 PKR 194

$2.42 PKR 670

-71.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.41 PKR 390

$1.83 PKR 508

-22.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 PKR 42.83

$0.28 PKR 76.8

-46.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.97 PKR 2,761

$9.81 PKR 2,716

1.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 PKR 304

$0.87 PKR 240

26.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 PKR 291

$0.74 PKR 204

41.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 PKR 791

$2.23 PKR 617

28.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 PKR 323

$1.38 PKR 383

-15.22%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$23.7K PKR 6.5M

$18.4K PKR 5.1M

28.92%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.0K PKR 6.4M

$26.4K PKR 7.3M

-12.89%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$66.8 PKR 18.5K

$113 PKR 31.4K

-41.08%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$5.70 PKR 1,577

$6.12 PKR 1,694

-6.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.27 PKR 3,951

$13.11 PKR 3,628

8.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.99 PKR 4,149

$21.78 PKR 6,029

-31.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.84 PKR 2,170

$18.27 PKR 5,058

-57.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 PKR 2,058

$4.26 PKR 1,179

74.65%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$26.43 PKR 7,315

$52.1 PKR 14.4K

-49.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,033 PKR 562.7K

$1,941 PKR 537.3K

4.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.26 PKR 5,331

$17.53 PKR 4,852

9.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.79 PKR 7,415

$22.88 PKR 6,332

17.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.9 PKR 15.2K

$68.1 PKR 18.8K

-19.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.15 PKR 8,345

$41.55 PKR 11.5K

-27.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$127 PKR 35.1K

$118 PKR 32.5K

7.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$78.7 PKR 21.8K

$73.2 PKR 20.3K

7.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$250 PKR 69.3K

$360 PKR 99.6K

-30.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 PKR 40.7K

$188 PKR 52.1K

-21.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$923 PKR 255.4K

$1,082 PKR 299.4K

-14.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$483 PKR 133.6K

$474 PKR 131.2K

1.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$182 PKR 50.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.83

13.21

-10.45%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Wah: October 18, 2026

Last update for Karachi: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Wah

$97 23.3%

Karachi

$102 21.1% 5.3% $5.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wah

$87 20.8%

Karachi

$133 27.4% 52.8% $46

Accommodation & Living

Wah

$79 18.9%

Karachi

$73 15.2% 7% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Wah

$59 14.1%

Karachi

$68 14% 14.5% $8.5

Eating Out

Wah

$49 11.7%

Karachi

$62 12.8% 26.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Wah

$30 7.2%

Karachi

$30 6.3% 1.5% $0.4

Getting Around

Wah

$17 4.1%

Karachi

$15 3.2% 8.7% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $127 in Wah and $118 in Karachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11.00 in Wah vs $14.00 in Karachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $97.0 vs $102 per month, with Wah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Wah

🇵🇰 Karachi

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

Same time as Wah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

400,733

14,910,352

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Wah Karachi 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Wah
Karachi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Wah vs Karachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wah and Karachi differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($417 vs $483 including rent). Wah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $626 in Wah and $725 in Karachi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $127 in Wah versus $118 in Karachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $417 per month in Wah versus $483 in Karachi – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Wah runs roughly 2% less than in Karachi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Wah gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Wah and Karachi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Wah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Karachi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.